Schools across Bradford will lose out on more than £2.2 million in grants this year, because nearly 3,000 pupils are recent migrants.

In one primary school alone there are 188 pupils classed as “new to English,” a classification that means the school loses out on almost £100,000 in government assistance.

The Government provides a “pupil premium” of £1,300 for each primary pupil and £935 for each secondary pupil who is eligible for free school meals. The money is intended to help the school improve the achievement of its most disadvantaged pupils.

Recent migrants to the UK are unable to automatically claim benefits, and this means their children are not eligible for free school meals. Because of this, schools across the district are having to find the money to support these children out of their own budgets.

In the district there are 19 schools with 50 or more pupils classed as new to English and almost every school in the district is losing out on pupil premium money. The children lose this classification after two years in the country.

Michael Jameson, the Council’s strategic director for children’s services, says the situation is one that has to be dealt with “immediately”.

Yesterday the Bradford Schools Forum met at City Hall and were given figures of how many new to English pupils were at each school, how many were not eligible for free school meals and how much “theoretical pupil premium loss” each school was experiencing this year. They heard that many of the 2,907 new to English pupils were from backgrounds where they were likely to get pupil premium, but 1,715 were not eligible.

Whetley Primary Academy in Manningham has the highest numbers of new to English pupils. Out of an estimated 710 pupils, 188 are classed as recent immigrants. Of these, 76 are not eligible for free school meals, mainly because of the restrictions on migrants claiming benefits, and this means the school is missing out on £98,800 this year. The school taking the biggest financial hit is St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Little Horton. Seventy seven out of its 104 new to English pupils are not eligible for free school meals, meaning the school misses out on £100,100 this year.

Andrew Redding, the Council’s senior school finance officer, said: “The vast majority of these new to English children have significant challenges and are either in poverty or near the poverty line. Some of these people may not be eligible for free school meals for pupil premium for some time. These pupils are not evenly distributed across the district.”

Comments (18)

"Recent migrants to the UK are unable to automatically claim benefits, and this means their children are not eligible for free school meals. Because of this, schools across the district are having to find the money to support these children out of their own budgets."

We are constantly told that these people have come here to work, in which case they can afford to feed their own children.

"Recent migrants to the UK are unable to automatically claim benefits, and this means their children are not eligible for free school meals. Because of this, schools across the district are having to find the money to support these children out of their own budgets."
We are constantly told that these people have come here to work, in which case they can afford to feed their own children.Albion.

Albion. wrote:
&quot;Recent migrants to the UK are unable to automatically claim benefits, and this means their children are not eligible for free school meals. Because of this, schools across the district are having to find the money to support these children out of their own budgets."

We are constantly told that these people have come here to work, in which case they can afford to feed their own children.

So the ones not entitled to Government benefits shouldn't get money from Council either.
If we are to discourage benefits seeking to this country and encourage those who can look after themselves we need consistent rules.

[quote][p][bold]Albion.[/bold] wrote:
"Recent migrants to the UK are unable to automatically claim benefits, and this means their children are not eligible for free school meals. Because of this, schools across the district are having to find the money to support these children out of their own budgets."
We are constantly told that these people have come here to work, in which case they can afford to feed their own children.[/p][/quote]So the ones not entitled to Government benefits shouldn't get money from Council either.
If we are to discourage benefits seeking to this country and encourage those who can look after themselves we need consistent rules.June Oh

Doubt they get free meals where they come from, take a leaf out of my book go to work and fork out 80 quid a month on school dinners. Not that thats a problem as they are both my children and my responsibility to feed , not the taxpayer.

Doubt they get free meals where they come from, take a leaf out of my book go to work and fork out 80 quid a month on school dinners. Not that thats a problem as they are both my children and my responsibility to feed , not the taxpayer.Bradfordbull72

Bradfordbull72 wrote:
Doubt they get free meals where they come from, take a leaf out of my book go to work and fork out 80 quid a month on school dinners. Not that thats a problem as they are both my children and my responsibility to feed , not the taxpayer.

Easy touch England strikes again.

[quote][p][bold]Bradfordbull72[/bold] wrote:
Doubt they get free meals where they come from, take a leaf out of my book go to work and fork out 80 quid a month on school dinners. Not that thats a problem as they are both my children and my responsibility to feed , not the taxpayer.[/p][/quote]Easy touch England strikes again.Bone_idle18

Madness. Bureaucratic madness. Children new to English obviously need all the extra help they can get if they are not to drag the whole performance of the school down. To allocate this help purely on whether they qualify for free school meals completely misses the point.

Madness. Bureaucratic madness. Children new to English obviously need all the extra help they can get if they are not to drag the whole performance of the school down. To allocate this help purely on whether they qualify for free school meals completely misses the point.sorrow&anger

Children of immigrants shouldn't be offered free schooling until their parents are earning at least £30k a year. Up until then they should have to pay for it. This problem only occurs because Socialists offer free stuff to everybody.

This problem will soon go away because after the next election we Conservatives will privatise education and every school place will have to be paid for.

Children of immigrants shouldn't be offered free schooling until their parents are earning at least £30k a year. Up until then they should have to pay for it. This problem only occurs because Socialists offer free stuff to everybody.
This problem will soon go away because after the next election we Conservatives will privatise education and every school place will have to be paid for.pcmanners

Bone_idle18 wrote:
Doing the sums its over £700 per child that is being taken out of our own children's education budget.

Well done Bradford, city of (lunatic) asylum.

How is it the city's fault? By all means criticise a ludicrous situation but it's hardly the council's fault, they are obliged to take the children into schools.

[quote][p][bold]Bone_idle18[/bold] wrote:
Doing the sums its over £700 per child that is being taken out of our own children's education budget.
Well done Bradford, city of (lunatic) asylum.[/p][/quote]How is it the city's fault? By all means criticise a ludicrous situation but it's hardly the council's fault, they are obliged to take the children into schools.allinittogether

Bone_idle18 wrote:
Doing the sums its over £700 per child that is being taken out of our own children's education budget.

Well done Bradford, city of (lunatic) asylum.

How is it the city's fault? By all means criticise a ludicrous situation but it's hardly the council's fault, they are obliged to take the children into schools.

Because Bradford touts itself as a city of Asylum and opens it's arms to all and sundry!

they make it easier than a lot of places in the UK to settle as a migrant/asylum seeker, and then expect the government to spend my taxes on supporting them.

[quote][p][bold]allinittogether[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]Bone_idle18[/bold] wrote:
Doing the sums its over £700 per child that is being taken out of our own children's education budget.
Well done Bradford, city of (lunatic) asylum.[/p][/quote]How is it the city's fault? By all means criticise a ludicrous situation but it's hardly the council's fault, they are obliged to take the children into schools.[/p][/quote]Because Bradford touts itself as a city of Asylum and opens it's arms to all and sundry!
they make it easier than a lot of places in the UK to settle as a migrant/asylum seeker, and then expect the government to spend my taxes on supporting them.Bone_idle18

pcmanners wrote:
Children of immigrants shouldn't be offered free schooling until their parents are earning at least £30k a year. Up until then they should have to pay for it. This problem only occurs because Socialists offer free stuff to everybody.

This problem will soon go away because after the next election we Conservatives will privatise education and every school place will have to be paid for.

" This problem only occurs because Socialists offer free stuff for everybody" what a tool you are. And clearly extremely thick.

[quote][p][bold]pcmanners[/bold] wrote:
Children of immigrants shouldn't be offered free schooling until their parents are earning at least £30k a year. Up until then they should have to pay for it. This problem only occurs because Socialists offer free stuff to everybody.
This problem will soon go away because after the next election we Conservatives will privatise education and every school place will have to be paid for.[/p][/quote]" This problem only occurs because Socialists offer free stuff for everybody" what a tool you are. And clearly extremely thick.pellethead

'No access to benefits' should include *all* benefits, including free schooling for the children. I thought all immigrants came here to work anyway? Until the parents are working and can pay for school meals, the children will have to stay at home, and if the parents are not here to work, then they shouldn't be here at all. Sorry, we're not here to house, feed, and educate the world.

'No access to benefits' should include *all* benefits, including free schooling for the children. I thought all immigrants came here to work anyway? Until the parents are working and can pay for school meals, the children will have to stay at home, and if the parents are not here to work, then they shouldn't be here at all. Sorry, we're not here to house, feed, and educate the world.yorkielady1!

These 3000 pupils, who haven''t been here long enough to scrounge benefits, are also taking up valuable school places, a quick search reveals many stories of a shortage of school places in Bradford, so why compound it?

How many British kids are being pushed out of their choice of school, or are forced to travel miles, to accommodate the influx of migrants?

Also, how much more will school be spending on teaching these kids English as well.

These 3000 pupils, who haven''t been here long enough to scrounge benefits, are also taking up valuable school places, a quick search reveals many stories of a shortage of school places in Bradford, so why compound it?
How many British kids are being pushed out of their choice of school, or are forced to travel miles, to accommodate the influx of migrants?
Also, how much more will school be spending on teaching these kids English as well.
No wonder Bradford education is one of the worst in the UK.!
(and before anyone starts to try and pick over my education...bad typing doesn't equal bad education)Bone_idle18

The council should be investigated for misuse of taxpayers money, if the immigrants arent allowed access to benefits, then why are they recieving them? This is our money.
Immigration will bring blood to our streets.

The council should be investigated for misuse of taxpayers money, if the immigrants arent allowed access to benefits, then why are they recieving them? This is our money.
Immigration will bring blood to our streets.They only do damage!

This is a none story, if schools can't claim for free school meals that means they are not entitled to them. So don't give them, unless these schools have a surplus in their budgets? Its only a shortfall if you have to pay it out.
Stop stirring it T&A and report real news.

This is a none story, if schools can't claim for free school meals that means they are not entitled to them. So don't give them, unless these schools have a surplus in their budgets? Its only a shortfall if you have to pay it out.
Stop stirring it T&A and report real news.Bantambhoy